Faculty Syllabus
ARTS-1301 Art Appreciation
Dawn Hewitt
Credit Spring 2026
Section(s)
ARTS-1301-041 (34107)
LEC MW 6:00pm - 7:20pm RRC RRC1 1313.00
Course Requirements
Grading System:
• Four test grades = 40% (10% each) All tests are taken in class. They must be taken on the indicated test day.
• Presentation = 20% At the end of the semester, you will present on your assigned artist. The presentation must be 5-7 minutes long with a brief biography, overview of body of work and an analysis of a work or series by the artist
• Group visual analysis = 10% Each group will be assigned one work of art to analyze.
• Individual visual analysis = 15% Each student will select one work of art from a list of works to write a one-page analysis, which will include formal elements and vocabulary.
• Participation/Attendance/Reviews = 15% Each student is allowed a maximum of three absences. Students must be on time and ready for class to begin at the designated start time. Participation will be noted as being engaged during lecture, participating in discussions, and being prepared.
Readings
Required Texts/Materials: Getlein, Mark. Living with Art, 13th Edition. ISBN: 9781265594855
It is recommended that you use the 13th Edition of the textbook. Should you choose to use an earlier edition it is your responsibility to make sure that you are reading the correct material. You are welcome to get a digital copy or a rental. The format is up to you, but you will need it immediately.
Reading assignments are outlined in the Course Schedule section of this syllabus. Students are responsible for readings and images in the text. The lectures will parallel and supplement the readings but are not a replacement for doing the readings. Short, supplemental readings may also be assigned throughout the class, and are designed to further your understanding of art’s place in our contemporary world. These readings will be available through Blackboard.
Short, supplemental readings may also be assigned throughout the class, and are designed to further your understanding of art’s place in our contemporary world. These readings will be available through Blackboard.
Course Subjects
Course Outline:
Please note that schedule changes may occur during the semester. Any changes will be announced in class and posted as a Blackboard Announcement.
Week 1
Introduction – Review of Syllabus
Week 2
Chapter 1 Living with art
Chapter 2 Artists and Audiences
Week 3
Chapter 3 Themes of art
Chapter 4 Visual Elements
Week 4
Chapter 5 Principles of Design
Review
Test 1
Week 5
Chapter 6 Drawing
Chapter 7 Painting
Week 6
Chapter 8 Prints
Chapter 11 Sculpture and Installation
Week 7
Chapter 13 Architecture
Review
Week 8
Test 2
Museum Visit
Week 9
Group Visual Analysis
Week 10
Chapter 14 Ancient Mediterranean Worlds
Chapter 15 Christianity and the Formation of Europe
Week 11
Chapter 16 The Renaissance
Chapter 17 17th and 18th Centuries
Week 12
Review
Test 3
Chapter 18 Arts of Islam and of Africa
Week 13
Chapter 19 Arts of Asia: India, China, and Japan
Chapter 20 Arts of the Pacific and the Americas
Week 14
Chapter 21 Modern World
Chapter 22 Modernism to Postmodernism
Week 15
Review
Test 4
Week 16
Presentations
Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives
Common Course Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Apply art terminology as it specifically relates to works of art.
- Demonstrate knowledge of art elements and principles of design.
- Differentiate between the processes and materials used in the production of various works of art.
- Critically interpret, evaluate, and contextualize works of art.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of arts on culture.
Discipline Specific Program Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Write meaningful formal and critical analyses of art works.
- Explain how formal and compositional properties express and convey content.
- Recognize and identify differences in styles and art forms.
- Analyze how art reflects diverse perspectives.
General Education Learning Outcomes:
- Critical Thinking: Students will gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply information.
- Cultural Awareness: Students will compare, contrast, and interpret differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices.
- Written, Oral and Visual Communication: Students will communicate effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.
- Personal Responsibility: Identifying and applying ethical principles and practices; demonstrating effective learning, creative thinking, and personal responsibility.
- Interpersonal Skills: Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals.
- Technology Skills: Using appropriate technology to retrieve, manage, analyze, and present information.
Office Hours
M W 7:20 PM - 7:50 PM RRC2 2226.00
NOTEPublished: 10/26/2025 11:30:40